Archive for the ‘What You Can Do’ Category

Without knowing it, healthcare providers often come into contact with human trafficking victims. In fact, according to research published in the Annals of Health Law, some estimates suggest that 87 percent of trafficking victims have had contact with a healthcare provider while being trafficked. In some cases, a nurse or doctor is the only person outside of the sex industry that comes into contact with a victim.

This means that it is extremely important for healthcare providers to know how to spot red flags and warning signs, so they can act quickly if need be.

The Fraser Health Forensic Nurse Service has created a free online learning module for doctors, nurses, and others working in healthcare. It takes about an hour to complete. The 3 minute introduction video at the beginning isn’t the best quality, but don’t let that discourage you from going through the whole session. Here are some questions that are addressed:

What are red flags that someone could be a victim?

How does a victim interact with their trafficker?

If someone shows up without medical insurance and no health card, what should you do?

How do you build trust with a patient, even in a hectic environment?

It will give you several scenarios and you will be asked to spot warning signs on your own. You’ll also be given some sample questions that can use to screen patients.

If you do not work for a Health Authority within B.C., please access the online module by clicking below. While the course is geared toward healthcare professionals, the general public can also complete the module.

A more specialized course is available to Fraser Health staff and other B.C. health care providers here (requires login).

If you have a friend who works at a hospital or deals with patients, send this their way! It could save a life.

While researching the connections between homelessness and sex trafficking, I came across a video that caught my attention. In it, the homeless read mean tweets about homelessness.

While I’ve never intentionally been cruel to the homeless, I am most certainly guilty of indifference. I’m guilty of making quick assumptions, priding in self-righteousness, and shying away from uncomfortable encounters. I grieve the selfish condition of my heart.

Here’s the interesting thing. My passion to fight sex trafficking has led me to confront other issues that I’ve previously been complacent about. I’ve learned that if I really want sexual exploitation to end, I must be willing to address and understand the factors that are connected to it. Like homelessness.

As this article points out, it is estimated that 30 percent of homeless youth in Canada have been involved in some part of the sex industry, often as a strategy for survival. Almost a third of the kids interviewed at a New Orleans shelter said strangers had approached them to trade sex, or to participate in other illegal or informal work, most often in the sex trade.

Home is a gift. Safety is a gift. Shelter is a gift. And these are things everyone should have. While there are no quick fixes to the issue of homelessness, there are steps we can take and things we can do to move in that direction. And who better to lead us than organizations and people who have been working on this for a long time. Like Covenant House.

In an effort to gain understanding, I’ve decided to take the Covenant House challenge to sleep on the street for a night. On April 9, I am joining together with a bunch of other community leaders in Toronto with a sleeping bag and a piece of cardboard, experiencing just a small piece of what homeless youth deal with on a regular basis.

I realize that sleeping in the cold for a night doesn’t even begin to cover the harsh realities of those on the streets, and that there are many other compounding factors that make life extremely difficult, like:

Having to run away from an abusive family situation

Inability to find/keep a job

Raising a child alone

Not having safe relationships

Mental illness

Poor nutrition

Hopelessness

Post traumatic stress disorder & fear

These are real needs that must be addressed. This is why Sleep Out is not simply about the experience of spending a night on the street, but also requires participants to raise money for Covenant House programs. Covenant House Toronto initiatives include prevention, crisis care, support, independence building, and aftercare. Their recent announcement is very exciting – they are opening a transitional housing program designed especially for sex trafficking survivors in Toronto early next year.

My goal is to raise over $2000, which will go a long way to support homeless youth in Toronto.

Will you support me as I take part in the Sleep Out Challenge?

You can read the Covenant House 2013 report on homelessness and trafficking here, as well as a recent CNBC article that also highlights the connections. Have a question you wish you could ask? On this website, the homeless address common questions like why they have pets and how they became homeless.

I’m a sucker for crafty things, especially when the final product is something practical that I can actually use. A few weeks ago, I was delighted to receive an invite to a soap making workshop and jumped at the chance to learn how to make soap from scratch! I received the invitation from Sandy, who has been honing her skills for several years and wanted to offer workshops so others could learn too. But Sandy’s passion goes far beyond soap making. She wants to use her skills to contribute to anti-trafficking efforts, so she’s decided to run workshops as a fundraiser for Hope for the Sold.

Sandy kindly agreed to answer some questions about her workshops and her desire for social justice.

When and how did you first learn to make soap?

I learned to make soap about 6 years ago after being invited by a friend to a soap making workshop. I immediately loved creating a handmade craft that once you started you had to finish!

What part of the soap making process do you like the most?

I think cutting and stamping the final bars and seeing them all lined up is very satisfying, however the best part is choosing the ingredients at the beginning to create a unique bar.

What’s your favourite scent?

How are some ways you trying to be intentional about teaching your kids and others about social justice?

I think as a family we have always tried to be aware of the needs of people in our community both locally and globally. When my daughter was quite young she did a project on children in slavery and that really opened our eyes to the connection between the goods we buy and the lives of people in other countries. We do a lot of volunteering and have always encouraged our kids to be engaged in meeting needs and helping others around us.

Why do you care about the issue of human trafficking?

The idea that any person could be bought and sold or treated like an object is abhorrent. I think the issue of human trafficking is often invisible in our culture, yet so very present if we open our eyes and become aware. I think there is a lot of misunderstanding about this issue and it is easy to think there is not much we can do about it. Psalm 9:18 says that “the needy will not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the afflicted ever perish.” God promises to be a refuge for the oppressed, to save those who are crushed in spirit and be close to the brokenhearted. I think it is so important to draw alongside those who are suffering and reach out to help as a reflection of God’s heart and His love for the weak and vulnerable.

What can someone expect if they attend a workshop?

Soap for Hope workshops work best for small groups of between 2-10 people. The workshops take about 3-4 hours and participants receive about 20 bars of their own unique handcrafted soap. I am asking for a $50 donation per person to Hope for the Sold in exchange for the workshop.

Sandy is based out of the Guelph area, so if you live nearby and are interested in joining a workshop or signing up your own group, contact me with (1) how many people are in your group and (2) what month you’d like to do the workshop, and I will get you connected.

As we’ve toured with our film Red Light Green Light this past year, we’ve met many people who are passionate about justice. Prostitution has been framed primarily as an issue of injustice, and rightly so. It preys on vulnerability and disproportionately targets those on the margins. The new prostitution law, which prohibits the purchase of sex while decriminalizing those who sell it (as they are usually victims of force or circumstance), seeks to address the demand side of the equation, recognizing that most often, prostitution is an unequal transaction in which the person paying has more power than the person providing a sexual service.

If we are serious about addressing systemic injustice, reducing demand for paid sex is key. For this reason, I support the new prostitution law. However, to bring about the intended goal of the law – which is protecting the vulnerable and promoting equality – our passion for justice must extend beyond the new law and filter down to the issues within our society that many would prefer to ignore, issues that are uncomfortable because they are difficult and would require some sacrifice to address.

Somewhere on our journey across the U.S. this past month, I heard someone use the word “takers.” I marvelled at how one little word could carry with it such a host of assumptions, opinions, and political loyalties. Like the belief that people on welfare are draining the system, that the poor are manipulating legal loopholes for their own benefit, that minimum wage workers should worship at the feet of “job creators” (another linguistic marvel that carries notable weight).

Calling the poor and the working poor “takers” is not entirely untrue. Of course there are people who take advantage of the system. The irony is that those who point the finger assume that they themselves are not.

Herein lies the paradox. The rich (not all of them, but many) often complain that the poor are lazy, while they themselves try to find ways to ‘put their money and other people to work for them’ so they can avoid being wage slaves. The rich often complain that the poor are taking advantage of loopholes for their own benefit, while they themselves do the same except with massive repercussions (U.S. banking crisis, anyone?). The rich often pat themselves on the back for creating jobs, but grind out their workers with minimum wage pay and manipulate schedules so that workers who should receive the perks of full time miss the mark by a day or two – allowing their labour to be used with as little cost to the employer as possible. The rich accuse the poor for not contributing to society, while they themselves lobby to pay little or no taxes in a community, threatening to take their business elsewhere.

So while calling the poor and the working poor “takers” is not entirely untrue, calling the rich “takers” is not entirely untrue either. At the end of the day, we are all takers, we are all greedy, and broken, and selfish. The difference is that the poor cannot afford to pay top-notch lawyers to advocate on their behalf. The difference is that between taking public transit and working three jobs, the poor don’t have time to lobby the government. The difference is that while the rich get richer, the poor are stuck in a cycle of poverty.

According to StatsCan, wealth inequality is growing in Canada. The top 10 per cent of Canadians have seen their median net worth grow by 42 per cent since 2005 to $2.1 million in 2012, while the bottom 10 per cent of Canadians saw their median net worth shrink by 150 per cent. The Broadbent Institute points out that when we look at this broad picture of wealth using new Statistics Canada data, the report shows “deep and persistent inequality.” Rick Smith, the executive director of the institute says in this article:

“Contrary to rosy reports of rising net worth and a post-recession recovery, these new numbers sound the alarm on Canada’s wealth inequality problem.”

When I was in my early teens, I played an interesting game in class one day. There was a huge bin of jelly beans in the middle of the room. We were separated into groups of 4 or 5, and each group received a set of tools. Group members had to go up one by one and use these tools to scoop as many jelly beans as possible, then bring them back to the the group’s empty bucket. The group with the most jelly beans in their bucket when the whistle blew won the game and received a prize.

But before the game even started, people started to revolt. Some groups had been given many useful tools, consisting of shovels and bowls and scoops. Other groups had only been given a couple teaspoons or a small glass. One group was given only a straw, and they had to suck on one end of the straw to grab each jelly bean one at a time, gingerly walking it back to the group’s bucket before they ran out of breath.

Though all the groups worked equally hard, the first group – who had the best tools – won the game. When the rest of us started complaining, the teacher pointed out that this game was not actually about jelly beans at all, but a demonstration of the distribution of wealth. While some would like to think that we are all given the same tools in life, all you have to do is listen to people’s life stories to realize that is not the case.

So what does this have to so with the issue of prostitution? Poverty is a key push factor for many of those who end up in the sex industry, and the majority (not all, but the majority) of those in prostitution are in it purely for reasons of economic necessity. Our goal should not be to make prostitution as easy as possible so that impoverished people have an “option” for work. This is an insult to the poor. Our goal should be to level the economic playing field so that people can break out of the cycle of poverty and not depend on the goodwill of “non-violent clients” to put food on the table.

If you are a business owner, consider giving your employees benefits and better wages, even if it means slightly less profit. Be open to hiring someone with no previous experience who needs help building up their resume. If you are a landlord, charge less rent (no one says you have to charge the market average). If you have a well-paying job, consider donating one, ten or fifty per cent to social programs and charities (Jay and I are personally working toward giving away 90% of our income). These things are all possible, but it requires sacrifice. It requires having less stuff. It requires being less greedy.

Our government of course is not off the hook on this one, as the laws they make and enforce shape the system in which we all work, live, and do business. I find it somewhat ironic that many of those who want to end prostitution simultaneously support the current government’s pro-big business initiatives which end up increasing wealth inequality…and creates an environment where the most vulnerable have to turn to prostitution because of lack of other opportunities.

Reducing demand for paid sex is key when dealing with the issue of sexual exploitation, and Canada’s new prostitution law is a strong step forward if we are serious about prevention. Those who refuse to acknowledge this as a critical piece are woefully misguided. But let’s remember to look at the issue of prostitution in its wholeness, and take steps to reduce the economic vulnerability that pushes people to do desperate things. Demand reduction, coupled with real opportunities for those who would otherwise consider prostitution, gets at the root and makes sustainable prevention possible.

But it will take sacrifice, so let’s conspire together and figure out ways to all do our part.

This year’s Ride for Refuge is taking place in FOUR DAYS! There are 39 riders on 6 teams across 3 provinces riding for Hope for the Sold, and on October 4 they will hop on their bicycles and brave whatever elements may come their way. Here’s your chance to support their efforts!

Katie hosted a screening of Red Light Green Light in Winnipeg last fall, and her sister Bethany hosted a second one in Niverville in April. Delicious baked goods accompanied both screenings (made by their super cool family) making for stellar events. Oh, and the day of the RIDE, October 4, just happens to be Katie’s birthday!

Cate hosted a screening at Trinity Western University, packing out a lecture hall with students who were eager to talk about social justice and trafficking prevention. Cate and her friend Mady have been part of a justice club together (pictured). Meet the HFTS LANGLEY TEAM & SHOW YOUR SUPPORT HERE!

Not only was Niki the first person to donate when we were raising funds to make Red Light Green Light, but also jumped on board to coordinate the RIDE FOR REFUGE campaign for Hope for the Sold this year! Oh, and she is getting married on October 11 – exactly one week after the RIDE! Meet Niki’s team and SUPPORT HFTS HAMILTON HERE!

This year’s Ride for Refuge is fast approaching, but there is still time to sign up, dust off your bike, and get ready for ride day!

Ride for Refuge is a fantastically fun, family-friendly bike-a-thon supporting charities serving the displaced, vulnerable, and exploited. It’s taking place on October 4 in 30 locations across the country, and is a great way to support organizations like Hope for the Sold.

Hope for the Sold is still looking for riders and team captains for the RIDE. You can read more about our vision and what you’d be supporting here.

In June, we wrapped up a cross-Canada film tour with our documentary, Red Light Green Light. Here are some road highlights from the last 8 months:

Did 85 screenings across 8 provinces

Survived snowstorms in Thunder Bay and the Rockies

Collected thousands of petition signatures

Met dozens of MPs, MPPs, MLAs, police officers, social workers, and other service providers

Met survivors of exploitation/abuse in almost every audience

Testified before the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights on Bill C-36

While Canada has been our focus to date, trafficking prevention is something that every country needs to be discussing. This fall, we will be headed across the border to do a U.S. film tour! We want to plant seeds of awareness with the hope that each state will adopt laws and initiatives that prevent commercial sexual exploitation. We hope to partner with local organizations that are already doing important work, and believe that Red Light Green Light could be a valuable tool to rally up support for anti-trafficking efforts across the country. So here’s where you come in. Do you know anyone in the U.S. who would be interested in hosting a screening of Red Light Green Light? Our plan is to hit the following states:

Take some time right now, or in the next few days, to contact your American friends and encourage them to host a screening of the film in their community. If you know folks on our route that might be willing to jump on board (and who might have the connections and capability to pull off a good event), we’d love for your to connect us!

The easiest way is for you to shoot an introduction email their way and CC Michelle ([email protected]), and she will follow up with more details. Here’s a sample you can personalize and email to your friends (be sure to include the links so they can check out the website and trailer):

Hi ___________,I’d like to introduce you to Michelle Brock, the co-director of Red Light Green Light, a documentary about sex trafficking. Michelle and her husband Jay run a charity called Hope for the Sold, and went to 10 countries to examine the best ways to prevent commercial sexual exploitation. They just finished an 85 city cross-Canada tour with the film, including a Parliamentary screening for government officials in Ottawa, as well as a bunch of churches, universities, and women’s crisis shelters.

Jay and Michelle are currently planning a film tour in the U.S., and are looking for schools, churches, and other groups that might be interested in hosting a screening in the fall. I’ve CC’d Michelle on this email, and she will send you a follow up email with some more details. In the meantime, you can check out the film trailer and synopsis right here.

“Heyy thanks for adding me your very pretty would you be interested in a job making easy money.”

“hey sexy how you doing im rico…i just wanna say you sexy and I will love for you to come get this money with me i see a lot of potential in you.”

“What up Bri? Call me soon as u get this love so we can chop it up and get better acquainted..”

“I LOVE trapping on the weekends. #$Money Making Mission.”

These are some facebook status updates and messages taken from court documents, showing how pimps recruited girls into prostitution by making initial contact online.

A couple years I met a girl in the Oakville area who had accepted a friend request on facebook from some “cute older guys.” They told her they could hook her up with alcohol and get her into all the parties. She was in high school at the time, and had no idea these older boys were traffickers on a mission to recruit. As the relationship developed, she was gradually groomed into prostitution. (I recently came across a similar story online – you can listen to Nina’s story here).

This is happening all over the world. In Indonesia, 27 of the 129 children reported missing to its National Commission for Child Protection are believed to have been abducted after meeting their captors on Facebook. The internet has no cultural or socio-economic boundaries. While many trafficking victims have traditionally been lured or abducted from marginalized or impoverished communities, the internet has opened up the playing field to include middle and even upper class homes. Teenagers and children are curious and hungry for compliments regardless of socioeconomic status, and traffickers can easily access them via facebook, twitter, and texting at all hours of the day.

For parents, this is a poses a real challenge. Cell phones, the very thing that parents often want their kids to have for safety purposes, may be the tool that undermines their safety in the worst way. Social media, which is supposed foster good relationships, sometimes acts as a breeding ground for toxic ones instead. So what’s a parent to do?

The FBI has identified some warning signs that your child may be at-risk online:

Your child spends large amounts of time on-line or texting, especially at night

You find pornography on your child’s computer/phone

Your child receives phone calls from men you don’t know or is making calls, sometimes long distance, to numbers you don’t recognize

Your child turns the computer monitor off or quickly changes the screen on the monitor when you come into the room

Your child becomes withdrawn from the family

Your child is using an on-line account belonging to someone else

Here is a list of tips for parents regarding internet safety that could be quite helpful. Instruct your children:

to never arrange a face-to-face meeting with someone they met on- line

to never upload (post) pictures of themselves onto the Internet or on-line service to people they do not personally know

to never give out identifying information such as their name, home address, school name, or telephone number

to never download pictures from an unknown source, as there is a good chance there could be sexually explicit images

to never respond to messages or bulletin board postings that are suggestive, obscene, belligerent, or harassing

that whatever they are told on-line may or may not be true

You can read the full FBI Parent Guide here, and some more social media tips here. Below is a conversation between a pimp and a teen’s parent who stepped in (taken from this CNN Money article):

The most powerful way to traffic-proof your child is to have a strong relationship with them. This starts at the youngest of ages. Maybe it’s time to make regular family dinner a bigger priority. Or to get a new job that allows for more quality time with your kids.

Investing into your kids when they are young can pave the way for a healthy relationship when they are teenagers, and that is a challenging hurdle for pimps to overcome.

The goal is to demonstrate to growing support for this approach to our government, which is currently considering their response to the Supreme Court ruling.

50,000 have been printed, with the hope that they will all be signed and sent to MP Joy Smith, who will then present them to Justice Minister Peter MacKay. You can order yours today by emailing [email protected].